The Lost Children
by idrylla
Summary: The Doctor and Charley get a distress call from a group of children, living on their own, in the harshness of winter. They need help, but not all of them are willing to accept the Doctor's help.
1. The Distress Call

An insistent beeping from the console interrupted the Doctor from his speech. After Charley had injured her foot in a previous adventure, the Doctor decided to take things easy for a while. First he had taken her to a beach, but after a day of relaxing in the warm sun, they had both gotten bored. So they next went to a mountain retreat. It had been lovely and peaceful, and they had enjoyed skipping rocks on the lake, but it seemed Charley grew tired of non-adventures almost as quickly as he did.

She insisted her foot was better, but the Doctor had wanted to be sure, so countless non-hours had been spent in the TARDIS as it travelled along in the vortex, going nowhere in particular. They had taken to reading favorite passages from favorite novels out loud to each other. Charley was impressed by the Doctor's theatrical skills, but hardly surprised. He was good at everything he did. The Doctor was equally impressed by Charley. She really got into the stories, giving different characters different voices. They had read dramas, adventures, romances, and poetry out loud to each other.

At this moment, the Doctor was reading a Vostian poetry book. The Vostians were known throughout the universe for their excellent poetry. One poem he had read to her, he had done with such feeling and the topic of the poem so tragic, it had made Charley tear up. This poem, however, was a sonnet to a Vostian fish called the Silver Pyramid. He was only half way through the sonnet when the beeping console interrupted him. He pulled a huge purple feather from one of his bigger-on-the-inside pockets and stuck it into the poetry book for a bookmark.

He went to the console and read the data streaming across the monitor. Sometimes the TARDIS displayed information in English, for Charley's sake, but more often than not, the monitor showed its data in the circular Gallifreyan script. It was always slightly frustrating to Charley that she couldn't read what the Doctor read, but she loved looking at the beautiful script all the same. Charley had once ventured to ask the Doctor about his home world's written language. He had explained that Time Lords needed many words to describe time and all things temporal and such words did not exist in any language except Gallifreyan. It was a difficult language to learn, even for Time Lords, but once learned, it was quick to read and extremely detailed in its descriptions of temporal matters.

The Doctor was quiet for several moments as he read the display. "Hmmm," he muttered.

"What is it Doctor?" Charley asked.

"It's a distress call, Charley," he turned to her. "A rather odd one, too."

"Odd? In what way?"

"Smoke puffs."

Charley couldn't believe what she had just heard, "What?"

"Smoke puffs, Charley. The distress call is coming in smoke puffs." The Doctor ran a hand through his curly hair and scratched the back of his head.

"Can the TARDIS pick up on a smoke puff distress message while in the Vortex?" Charley asked. It seemed so unlikely.

The Doctor looked slightly offended. "Of course she can." He started to walk around the console, flipping this switch and turning that knob. Charley loved to watch the Doctor as he worked the various controls of the hexagonal console. To her, it was like watching the Doctor waltz with the TARDIS. She giggled a little at the thought.

"We are off to the sub planet Reat," the Doctor said, not looking away from his work and oblivious to Charley's amused grin. "It's a small world populated with humanoids."

"Have you been there before?" Charley asked.

"No, I don't think so." He continued his waltz around the time rotor until it came to a halt and the engines became silent. The Doctor looked at the monitor again. "Nice planet, breathable air, cold. Looks like it might be winter time and we've landed in a forest." He gave Charley a moment to run to the wardrobe for a coat. When she had returned to him, properly bundled in winter clothes, the Doctor threw the lever to open the TARDIS doors.


	2. We're being followed

It was a dense forest and the ground was covered in a light dusting of snow. Charley pulled her scarf further up her neck and stuffed her hands deep into her pockets. The Doctor walked a few feet away from the TARDIS onto a what looked like it might have been a path long ago. Fallen trees laid across its path and the forest had started to re-grow. He stood on the path for several moments looking in both directions.

"Which way?" Charley asked.

The Doctor sniffed the air. He licked a finger and held it up over his head, testing the winds. He looked down the path at his feet for any indication that someone had recently travelled the path in the snow. "This way," he announced and turned to the left. They made their way along the path. Charley had to jog to keep up with the Doctor's long strides. It wasn't long before the path began to climb. Charley's pace slowed as the climb became steeper.

The path turned and the path went steeper still. "Switchbacks. We're climbing a mountain, Charley."

Charley jumped over a log in the path's way, "Great!" she called and hurried along to keep up with the Doctor. With each turn of the switch backs, Charley's pace slowed. Her lungs started to ache.

"I think we are getting towards the top," the Doctor announced half an hour later. His stride had not slackened and he seemed completely unbothered by the cold temperature.

Charley was panting, "That's good," she gasped.

The Doctor turned around and saw Charley, red faced, and slowly walking towards him. He jogged back down the path to meet up with her. They sat down together in the middle of the path. Charley was taking deep breaths. The Doctor fished around in his pocket and pulled out a water pouch. He handed it to Charley, who eagerly took it.

"Not too fast, Charley," the Doctor said. He reached into another of his pockets and produced a breathing mask attached to a small metal container. "Hold this up to your face and take deep breaths."

Charley took the device from the Doctor and did as he told her. Immediately Charley felt better. Her head cleared and her lungs didn't feel like they were going to burst. The Doctor watched Charley' complexion return to its normal color. "Oxygen. The air on this mountain is quit thin, especially for someone who is use to living near sea-level." He watched as she took several more breaths. "Feeling better?"

Charley handed the mask back to the Doctor, "Right as rain, Doctor."

"Come on, we'll be at the top soon." He stood up, held out his hands and pulled Charley up. He took the rest of the climb a bit slower until they finally reached a level clearing. The sky above them was clear blue. A dying fire lay in the center of the clearing. Small wisps of black smoke still rose from the fire's embers. A heavy woven fabric was in a crumpled heap several feet away from the fire. The Doctor surveyed the scene. The marking in the ground told the Doctor that someone or something had recently been here, quite possibly scaring away the fire's keeper. "Judging by the markings on the ground, our distress caller was chased away from his fire before he was done. The way the smoke cloth is laying on the ground, I'd say the person was taken completely by surprise."

"I hope whoever it is, is alright," Charley said, gently picking up the cloth. It was a heavy fabric, grey in color, with heavily frayed edges. It smelled strongly of smoke.

"I hope so too, Charley. I hope so, too." The Doctor noticed the tracks led down another path. "Come on, let's follow their tracks." They started on the path on the other side of the clearing. Charley was pleased to realize this path did not climb more of the mountain. It twisted and turned through the woods, but stayed approximately at the same elevation. Charley, who was several paces behind the Doctor heard something in the trees behind her. She turned around and saw nothing.

Jogging up to the Doctor, she touched his shoulder and gave the velvet coat a slight tug. As quietly as she could she spoke into his ear, "I think we are being followed." She felt the Doctor's shoulder's stiffen under her grip, but he continued to walk casually down the path. His ears picked up on a slight noise.

"Get in front of me, Charley," he whispered. Charley obeyed and the moment she stepped in front of him, the Doctor spun around. His eyes caught sight of some movement in a bush alongside the path. He was there in three long strides, reached down into the bush, grabbed the follower and pulled him up.

Charley gasped.

"Don't hurt me, grownup!" A child dangled helplessly from the Doctor's strong grip.


	3. The Lost Children

_"Don't hurt me, grownup!" A child dangled helplessly from the Doctor's strong grip._

The Doctor quickly, but gently set the child back onto the ground. "I will not hurt you, but you did give us quite a startle," the Doctor said. The small child quickly backed away from the Doctor and stood quite still, looking with wide terror-filled eyes at the two strangers. The Doctor looked over the child, dressed in crudely made clothes and he guessed that the child could not be older than six.

The boy looked past the Doctor to Charley. His eyes went from terror to curiosity. The boy and Charley approached each other. "Are you a grownup girl?" The boy asked.

Charley chuckled, "Why yes, I am. Have you never seen a grown woman before?"

"Zeke says I have, but I don't remember her. Are you a mother?" the boy asked.

Charley was surprised by the boy's question, "No, of course not. I'm not that grownup."

The boy took several steps closer to Charley, "I thought all grownup girls were mothers. Zeke says my mother was a grown up girl."

Charley knelt down to the child. "Well, yes, I imagine your mother was a grownup, but not all grownups are mothers. I'm not. Not yet, but I hope to be one someday."

"Will you be my mother?" the boy asked.

Charley stared at the boy in disbelief, but his face was completely sincere. "No, I cannot be your mother, but I can be your friend." The boys eyes dropped to the ground. "My name is Charley, what's yours?"

"Davy," the boy answered.

"Davy, that's a nice name. Where do you live Davy?"

He pointed further down the path, "In the cave."

"You live in a cave?" Charley asked.

Davy's eyes looked over to the Doctor, who had joined Charley at her side. Davy leaned in close to Charley and whispered, "Who is the grownup?"

Charley whispered back, but using a more theatrical whisper so the Doctor could hear, "That's the Doctor. Don't worry, he is very nice."

The small boy looked over to the Doctor and eyed him warily. Charley looked to the Doctor. His bright blue eyes looked very worried. She stood back up to face him, "Doctor," she said in a formal tone, "this is Davy. Davy," she looked at the small boy, "this is my very good friend, the Doctor."

The Doctor held out his hand. The boy put his small hand into the Doctor's and was rewarded with a smile. "It's a pleasure to know you Davy. I'm sorry I scared you earlier." He knelt down to be at the boy's eye level. "Why were you following us?"

"I was hiding from Zeke and Joe. I didn't want them to see me by the fire. Then, I saw you. I've never seen grownups before," Davy stood closer to Charley.

"You've never seen a grown up before?" Charley asked. She wondered how that could be. Who had raised this boy?

"Who are Zeke and Joe?" the Doctor asked.

"Zeke is our leader and Joe is second in charge," Davy answered.

Everything seemed rather odd to the Doctor. He couldn't understand why there was a small child alone in the forest. A child who had never seen an adult before. If that were true, that meant Zeke and Joe were children too. And Davy had mentioned they lived in a cave. The Doctor loved a good mystery, finding clues and seeking the answers, but this mystery had him very concerned.

"And Zeke and Joe were the ones who sent up the smoke puffs?" the Doctor asked.

"No, it was just Joe. Zeke got mad and chased after him." Davy was shivering, Charley noticed. No wonder, he had on little warm clothes, and it was so cold. Charley took off her scarf, draped it over Davy's head and wrapped it around his neck. Davy laughed. "What is this?" he asked.

"It's a scarf and it is terribly useful. You can do all sorts with it. You can put things in it and carry them, you can tie things up with it, and when you aren't using it, you can wear it around your neck and head. It's quite soft and warm," Charley explained.

"Wow, this is wonderful!" Davy tugged it off and held it out to look at it better. "I could use it like a sling."

"Yes, I suppose you can, but right now, since you don't need to carry anything, tie up anything or sling at anything, you can wear it. It keeps your head warm." Charley took the scarf from his hands and wrapped his head and neck in it again. The Doctor smiled. Charley was so kind hearted. He thought back to his life with his beloved scarf. It had been very useful in its day.

"Now, Davy, tell me. Why did Zeke get mad at Joe for making smoke puffs?" The Doctor asked.

"Cause Zeke doesn't want help," Davy answered. He played with the end of the scarf, feeling it's softness in his small rough hands. The Doctor was getting frustrated by the lack of good information he was getting out of the child. The boy looked up at the Doctor's face, "Are you here to help?"

"Yes, if we can," said the Doctor. "Can we meet Joe and Zeke?"

"Come on!" Davy pulled on Charley's hand. He started down the path with Charley and the Doctor in step behind him.

"How old are you Davy?" Charley asked.

"Six, I think. Zeke is in charge of the days." Davy started to run down the path. He lead them to what looked like a small primitive camp. A fire burned in a central pit near the mouth of a cave. Logs and rocks were set around the entrance, like a small fort. Two children were standing near the fire, tending it. When Davy arrived with the two adults in tow, the children yelled and ran into the cave.

"Hmm," the Doctor muttered. "Not use to visitors, I take it."

"No, it would seem not," Charley replied.

Suddenly, a cry of pain tore out at them from within the cave. They ran to the cave, the Doctor jumping easily over the rocks and logs that formed their entrance. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the change in light, but when they did, he was shocked by the sight. A boy was laying on the ground with blood running down his back. A taller boy stood over him, holding a stick in his hand, raising it to strike again. The tall boy did not see the Doctor, who rushed to the boy and tackled him before his arm could come down.

Cries echoed in the cave. The Doctor rolled off the boy, taking the stick with him. With easy agility, the Doctor was back on his feet in a moment. He held the stick and broke it over his knee. The tall boy charged at the Doctor and threw a punch, but the Doctor was quicker. He ducked and the boy tripped over the Doctor's body. He grabbed at the Doctor's foot, tripping him. The Doctor fell on top of the boy. The children in the cave cheered on the fight, not really caring who won, just loving a good fight.

Charley watched in horror. She had never seen the Doctor physically fight like this. It took several moments before she realized that he wasn't fighting the boy, but he wasn't on the defensive either. He ducked, rolled, and blocked punches, but he never threw one at his attacker. Finally in one quick movement, the Doctor grabbed the boy and rolled on top of him, pinning the boy to the ground.

"Good fight," the Doctor said. He stood up, still holding the boy's wrist and pulling the boy up into a standing position. He gave a look to the boy that would make most people cower, "I win," he said. He let go of the boy's wrists, but was immediately struck in the face by the boy.

"Zeke, no!" Davy yelled.

This time the other boys in the cave ran to the Doctor's aid and restrained the youth. A good fight was a good fight, but throwing punches was unfair after a winner had been declared. The Doctor rubbed his jaw. Charley ran to his side, but he was already advancing on the boy. "You don't play fair," the Doctor said.

"You attacked me first!" the boy yelled.

"Hitting someone smaller than you with a stick is not right. You don't play fair." The Doctor went to the boy that was still laying on the ground. A few other children were sitting with him. They moved out of the Doctor's way when he approached. The boy looked at him with terrified eyes. He flinched away as the Doctor reached out to him. "It's alright. I'm a doctor. Let me look at you." The Doctor gently pulled at the clothes on the boy's back. The boy cried out in pain as the Doctor moved the boys arms to remove the shirt. "Bring some water and bandages!" he called out to the children. No one moved.

"I'll get some," Davy said. He went to one side of the cave and began to rummage through their belongings. Another child brought a bowl with water.

The Doctor stuck a finger into the water to test its temperature. Cold. "Do you have hot water?" he asked. The child who had brought the bowl of water took the bowl back and placed it near the fire. He picked up another bowl and brought it to the Doctor.

Charley took the moment to look around properly at the cave and the children in it. Everyone there was younger than her. By the looks of it, most weren't even teenagers, except Zeke and maybe Joe. The cave was small. Bed rolls laid along the sides of the cave. The fire at the mouth of the cave kept things a little warm, but mostly, it was quite cool in the cave. The children weren't dressed that warmly and if those were bed roll on the floor, they were quite thin. Did the children live here? How could they live like this?

The other boys had let Zeke go. Zeke's fist were clenched in anger, but he did not move. Davy returned with some strips of cloth. The Doctor took the biggest piece of cloth and dipped it into the warm water and began to wash the boy's back. The boy's body jerked forth and he let out a yelp of pain, but he remained quite still as the Doctor continued to wash his wounds.

Charley stepped closer to Zeke, "My name is Charley and this is the Doctor."

Zeke turned to look at her. The anger in his eyes lessened when he saw Charley. "I'm Zeke. I'm the leader of our tribe and I don't want any grownup's help here!" Zeke turned around and stormed out of the cave. The Doctor finished washing the boy's back. He dug into his pockets for several moments. Charley wondered, and not for the first time, how much stuff was actually in those pockets? The Doctor pulled out a small tube from his pocket. He squeezed the tube onto his fingers and then wiped the goo onto the boy's back. Without any other medical supplies, there wasn't much more he could do. He stood up and turned to Charley.

"Stay here with Davy. See if you can find out what is going on. I'll go to Zeke."

"Doctor," Charley whispered, "have you noticed? Everyone here are children. It's like the Lost Boys in 'Peter Pan'."

The Doctor surveyed the children in the cave. "More like 'Lord of the Flies,'" he muttered.

"What?"

"Sorry Charley, after your time. Yes, the Lost Boys. Find out what you can, but be careful."

"You too, Doctor."

The Doctor strode out of the cave. Charley looked at the boy's back. The cut didn't look too deep and the Doctor had cleaned it out well. The boy's bloody shirt was on the ground where the Doctor had left it. She approached the boy, who still sat on the floor of the cave, his head bent over. "Are you alright?"

"Sure," the boy answered.

"Are you Joe?" she asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" The boy looked up and saw Charley for the first time.

The looks she was getting from all the children were making her very uncomfortable, but if what Davy said was true, then she was the first woman they had seen in possibly their lives. No wonder they stared. "Davy told me. Were you the one sending up the smoke distress signal?" Joe nodded his head. "Well, that is why we are here, the Doctor and me. We've come to help."


	4. Putting Together the Puzzel

"Don't follow me, grownup!"

The Doctor ran through the woods following Zeke. "Let me help you!" the Doctor called out.

Zeke reached the edge of a large stream. He picked up a stick and held it out in front of him, ready to attack. The Doctor reached the water's edge and saw Zeke waiting for him. The Doctor held up his hands to show he was unarmed. "Now Zeke, put the stick down."

"I don't want help from a grownup!"

"Zeke, I'm not your average grownup," the Doctor sighed. "Look, I'm not here to take away your leadership or put you down. But someone sent up a distress signal and I'm not one to ignore a distress signal. I take it wasn't you who made the smoke signal." The Doctor lowered his hands.

"It was Joe. He is a traitor!" Zeke's grip on the stick did not lessen.

"Let me tell you something, Zeke. I'm a traveler. I've travelled to many places. I've seen many things and met many people. You wouldn't believe the number of cultures where a boy crosses the bridge into manhood by going on his first real hunt and making his first kill that brings home food for his tribe. It's quite a universal rite of passage."

"Yeah, so?" Zeke said.

The Doctor stood his ground. "You crossed that bridge a long time ago, didn't you?"

"Five years ago," Zeke said. They hysteria in his voice had ebbed, but his stance with the stick in his hand did not change.

"So, five years ago you became a man. But your first kill came out of necessity and not from a society ritual and celebration." He took a step forward. "You not only had to make your first kill and become a man, you also had to become leader of your tribe, and if that was five years ago, you were leader of a group of very small children. That is a huge weight to have been placed on your shoulders five years ago. How old were you Zeke? Thirteen?"

"Twelve," Zeke answered.

The Doctor took another step closer. He really didn't know the story behind this tribe of lost boys, but he was piecing together the bits of the story he knew. It was clear to him that five years ago these boys had found themselves on their own. No grownups, no help. No one but themselves.

Zeke's eyes were red and a tear ran down one of his cheeks. He realized in a moment that the Doctor was coming closer. He held the stick more firmly in his hands and shook it at the Doctor. "No!" he yelled. He took the stick and flung it into the air, sending it right over the Doctor's head and into the woods. "Those awful grownups took away my family! Because of them, I'm leader of my tribe. I have raised them, I have fed them, protected them, taught them, comforted them! All because of some stupid grownups! I hate grownups! They are bad!"

Zeke stamped on the ground around the Doctor. He picked up another stick and threw it as he spoke. He picked up another stick and whacked one of the trees over and over with it. The Doctor stood by and watched. Zeke was beyond reason and control. The Doctor waited. He knew Zeke would eventually tire out and having vented all his frustrations, would be ready to talk and perhaps except help. Until Zeke's rage was over, the Doctor could only watch and wait.

Charley picked up the boy's bloody shirt. "Would you like me to wash this for you?" she asked.

Joe stood up and reached for his shirt. His face betrayed the pain he felt with every movement. "I can do it myself."

"Yes, I'm sure you can, but I thought I could help, since your back is sore," Charley said.

Joe took the shirt from her. "No, but thank you." He started to walk closer to the fire and sat down on a log. Davy followed and sat down next to Joe. Charley took a quick look around the cave. The boys still stood along the walls watching her. No one had moved since Zeke and the Doctor had left. Charley found another log by the fire to sit on. She turned and faced Joe.

"So, you saw the smoke signals and came to help?" Joe asked.

"Yes, we did."

"Which village are you from?"

"I'm not from any village. You see, the Doctor, he has this ship and it picked up on your signal and brought us here." Joe stared at Charley like she had lizards crawling out of her ears. "I know it sounds crazy, but it is the truth. Tell me, Joe," Charley leaned in closer to Joe and Davy, "why did you send up the distress signals?"

"We need help. At least, I think we need help. Zeke doesn't, but I say we do." Joe shifted on his log, each movement of his body was painful. "This has been a tough winter. We didn't gather enough food during the fall. We couldn't find much. We are almost out of food. It's also very cold this winter, colder than I remember others being."

"How long have you been here for?" Charley asked.

"About five years," Joe answered.

Charley was shocked. If Davy was six, that meant he had come to live in this cave when he was only a small baby. Who had taken care of him? Who brought him here and why?

"A few weeks ago, Tommy, my brother, got sick. He died three days ago," Joe's head bent down. Charley could tell he was hiding tears.

"I'm so sorry, Joe."

"It was hard on all of us, but Zeke seemed really mad about it," Joe said.

"He probably felt like it was his fault," Charley said. She was starting to understand a few things, but there were more questions than answers right now.

"Yeah, I think he did. I said we should go to the village for help, but Zeke said no. He has always told us the villages were dangerous."


	5. Small Meals

"Are you ready?" the Doctor asked.

Zeke's frustrations were spent. He laid panting on the cold ground. When Zeke didn't answer, the Doctor continued on. "You've said over and over how grownups were bad, mean and dangerous. That everything is their fault. They've done this to you. But Zeke, don't you realize you are on the verge of being a grownup yourself?"

Zeke shook his head back and forth, "Never!" he cried out.

"What happened Zeke? Why did the grownups leave you children alone?" The Doctor sat cross-legged on the ground in front of Zeke, close enough to hold a conversation with the boy, but far enough back to make sure Zeke didn't feel threatened.

Zeke sat up. He rubbed his hands over his eyes. "There was a war. I was twelve at the time. Father went off to fight, leaving Mother to care for us children, alone. She had heard that bad soldiers were coming towards our home, so Mother packed us up. In a blanket, she bundled food, knives and clothes. She tied the blanket to my back. With another blanket, she tied my baby brother, Davy, to my front. She sent me into the woods with my brother and sister. Our neighbor did the same. Together, six of us children left home. We were told to hide and keep safe."

"And you did. But why didn't you go home after the war was over?" the Doctor asked.

"I did, many moons later. I left Joe in charge of everyone else and I went alone, back to the house. It was empty. The whole village was empty. They had forgot about us. I gathered some useful stuff that I found from the homes in the village and brought them back to our camp. We were on our own."

"Have you never tried to find another village?" the Doctor asked.

"Why, so we could be killed?"

The Doctor sighed. He would try a new approach. "You said there were six of you when you left home, but there are more than six at your camp."

"Others joined us," Zeke said casually, but looking down at his pants and picking off a dead leaf.

"So you are saying other children found you deep in the woods, but no adult ever has?" the Doctor was afraid he knew what was coming.

"That's right. The adults are stupid. They cannot find us." Zeke said with triumph.

The Doctor leaned in towards the boy, "Did you take the other children from their homes?"

Zeke jumped up, "I don't have to answer to you!" He took off running, back towards the camp. The Doctor was on his feet in a moment and running after the teen.

"Zeke doesn't trust anyone, does he?" Charley asked

To her surprise, Davy hopped into her lap. "He trusts me," Davy said.

Charley smiled at the small boy, "I'm sure he does." Charley watched as a small child approached the campfire and poked a stick at several stones in the fire pit, then she shyly approached Charley and held out a crudely made cup. Charley took the cup and looked into the brown eyes of the small child. "Thank you," she said. Charley sipped from the cup. "What's your name?"

"Helen," the child answered.

"You're a girl?" Charley looked harder at the child. She was dressed like the boys. The clothes were tattered, dirty and thin. Her brown hair fell down her back, but most of the children had long hair. Charley noticed for the first time that although the girl was small, she was shaped different. Her small body was developing differently from the other children's. "Are you the only girl here?"

"Yes," Helen answered.

"She's my sister," Davy said proudly.

"It's lovely to meet you. My name is Charley."

Helen nodded her head. She stared at Charley, making Charley feel slightly uncomfortable, but then Charley realized that if these children had indeed been alone for the last five years, Charley was the first girl this small girl had seen in perhaps her memory. How difficult it must be for Helen, Charley thought. To be the only girl in this group of boys and living such a primitive life. To be growing and changing differently from the rest of the group and having no one to talk to, to guide you, to help you, to teach you about being female. It could not have been easy.

"Food will be ready soon," Helen said.

"Would you like some help?" Charley offered. Helen shook her head. "Do you do all the cooking, Helen?"

Helen nodded. "When there is food, I cook it."

"That's a big job. How old are you Helen?"

"Ten, I think."

"You think?" Charley asked.

"We think we have been keeping track of the moon correctly," Joe explained. "Zeke makes a mark in our time stick on the night of the full moon every month. If his marks on the time stick is right, it has been five years and two moons since we left home."

Charley was becoming more and more amazed with every bit she learned about this band of children. She felt shock at the circumstances the children were living in and angry at the parents who would have done this to them. She was in awe of the way they lived and survived. She felt sad and wanted nothing more at that moment then to hug them all, but she did not. She fought the urge and instead smiled at Helen. "You know, Helen," Charley said, "It's so nice for me to be around another girl. I'm always with the Doctor with no girls to talk to." Helen looked up at Charley in surprise. "If you ever want to have some girl chatter while I'm here, I would most enjoy it." Charley smiled at the small girl.

Helen blushed and walked back to the campfire. She poked at the fire with a stick. It was at that moment that Zeke stormed into the camp. The Doctor was barley three steps behind him. Zeke went to a back corner of the cave and the Doctor went to Charley.

"How are you Charley? Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes Doctor, I'm fine," she answered.

"How's your back Joe?" the Doctor walked to the other side of Joe and inspected Joe's wounded back, but he did not touch it.

"It's fine," Joe bravely answered. "I hardly feel it at all."

The Doctor made a face. He didn't believe Joe at all. The raised welt was red and swollen. The Doctor guessed it was probably hot to the touch. With nothing more than river water to clean the wound and a light spreading of antiseptic, he suspected there was some infection. He considered going back to his TARDIS for a medikit. Then he would be able to properly deal with the wound.

"Doctor, this is Helen, Davy's sister, and the camp's cook," Charley held out her arm to the small girl. Helen walked to Charley's side and took the Doctor's outstretched hand.

"How nice to meet you, Helen. I'm the Doctor. So," he paused, and looked warmly at the girl, "You are also Zeke's sister, aren't you?"

Helen nodded. Charley was surprised. She hadn't realized Davy, Helen and Zeke were all siblings. "The food is ready," Helen said, her hand still in the Doctor's.

Charley looked around. The eating table was empty of food. She wondered what supper Helen was talking about. Charley watched as Helen went back to the fire and with two sticks, deftly removed several brown rocks from the fire. When she was done with that, she banged her sticks on the table in a rhythmic pattern. The other children ran to the table and sat down.

Davy pulled on Charley's skirts, "Come sit with me." Charley sat next to Davy at the table. The Doctor watched until all the children were seated and then he found a seat at the far end of the table. The Doctor became aware of the pecking order of the children. Zeke sat at the head. To his right, was an empty spot. To his left was Davy and Helen. The remaining children looked to be in order by age, ten in all. Joe sat next to the Doctor, but the Doctor assumed the empty spot next to Zeke was where Joe usually sat.

Zeke looked at the Doctor for a brief moment before he bowed his head. The children spoke as one, "We are thankful for our food. We are thankful for our home. We are thankful for each other."

Zeke took the rocks from Helen and using a knife, sliced them into small chunks. Charley realized the rocks were actually potatoes. The chunks of potatoes were passed around the table until everyone had one. Charley looked to the Doctor. She had a hard knot in her stomach and she felt terribly guilty. Obviously food was precious and scarce and they had just given up to valuable portions to the two strangers. The children picked up their food and eagerly shoved it into their mouths. The meal was over in a moment. Charley could not eat, but she noticed Helen was watching her. Charley looked to the Doctor again. He picked up his food and nodded at Charley to do the same. She pick up her section of potato and ate it. It was hot and soft, if completely tasteless.

She smiled at Helen. "That was a wonderfully cooked potato, Helen. You are a very good cook."

Helen grinned.


	6. Troubled History

As the day turned to evening and the evening to night, the temperature in the cave dropped. The children huddled around the fire, wrapped up in the few thin blankets they possessed. Charley had given up her scarf, cap, gloves and coat to different children, who had accepted her gifts with great enthusiasm. Making three small children sit close together, she was able to make her coat fit around them all. She sat with Davy on one side of her, his head and neck wrapped in her scarf, and Helen sitting on the other side. Helen had refused Charley's gifts, but because the three children were wrapped in Charley's coat, it freed up several more blankets, which Charley had draped over Helen.

"Charley," Davy asked, looking at her with his large brown eyes, "do you know any stories?"

"Yes, I know lots of stories," Charley answered. Her back was cold without her coat and she shivered slightly.

"Can you tell us one?"

Charley thought for several moments. She had read so many wonderful books. "I'll tell you the story of 'Peter Pan'. Now, once upon a time, there were three children," Charley started. The other children sitting around the fire grew silent and listened to Charley.

The Doctor watched Charley as she entertained the children with her story. He had not been at all surprised when Charley had offered all of her warm clothing to the children. It was very like her to give unselfishly. The Doctor had convinced Joe to let him look at his back again. Using warm water, he washed the wound again and spread another layer of antiseptic on it. Joe had sat through it bravely and without making a noise, but the Doctor knew how much it had to hurt. If it wasn't looking better tomorrow, though, he was going for medical supplies from the TARDIS.

"Alright boys, we are going to talk now. I want to know what all is going on and I want to hear both sides. While I am here, there will be no violence and no yelling at each other. Understood?" He looked at the two boys. Zeke scowled at him, but Joe nodded his head. "Good. First, I want to hear from Joe about why you sent up your distress signal."

Joe looked to Zeke before looking to the Doctor. "I think we need help. We've lived in this cave a long time and we have survived, but, well, after Tommy got sick and died, I don't want to live here anymore."

"Who is Tommy?" the Doctor asked.

"My brother," Joe said. "This year, there wasn't much food in the forest. In years past, we were able to gather enough food in the summer and fall that we did OK in the winters, but not this year. There wasn't as much for us to gather. We're almost out of food and there is still a long time before spring. When Tommy got sick, we didn't have food to give him and nothing to help him feel better. We did everything we could. Zeke did everything he could, but Tommy just got sicker. I said we needed to go to a village for help, but Zeke said no."

"The people in the villages are bad," Zeke interjected. All while Joe had been talking, Zeke's fists had clenched more and more.

"Wait your turn, Zeke," the Doctor said calmly, never taking his eyes off Joe. "Go on," he encouraged.

"But then Tommy died. We were all so sad, but I was mad. Maybe if we had gone for help, he wouldn't have died. I want to leave. I remember my life with mother before we came to live here. I remember a warm home and a soft bed. I remember mother singing and telling stories. I know I was young, only nine when we left, but I don't remember grownups being bad." Joe looked pleadingly to Zeke. "Mother wasn't bad and she was a grown up."

"Your mother sent you away," Zeke said.

"I think she was trying to protect us. I don't think she meant for us to live here for so long."

"So why didn't she come to find you? Why wasn't she there when I went back to the village?" Zeke goaded.

"I don't know," Joe hung his head.

"So after Tommy died, you sent up the signals, hoping a grown up would come and tell you where your mother was. Take you back to a village and a family," the Doctor said.

"Yes. I guess so. I'm so cold and so hungry. I'm tired. I don't want to be cold any longer. I don't want to live in a cave forever," Joe looked at the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded his head and laid a hand on Joe's shoulder. "Now Zeke, tell me what you have to say."

"The grownups are bad,"

"Yes, Zeke, I know that is how you feel," the Doctor sighed, "but there needs to be more than this anger. Don't you remember your home? Don't you remember your mother?"

"Yes," Zeke whispered.

"Was she bad?"

"She sent me away."

"Did you think she might have been trying to save your life?"

Zeke's eyes flashed with anger, "Why wasn't she there when I went back?"

The Doctor shook his head, "I don't know, Zeke. Perhaps she went into the woods to find you and got lost. Perhaps she was forced to leave by the soldiers. Perhaps she was killed. Listen to me Zeke. You can't hide from grownups forever. You are turning into one."

"No I'm not!" Zeke shouted.

"No yelling, remember our rules? Zeke, no matter how much you want to deny it, you are growing up. Look at Charley over there," Zeke and Joe turned to look at Charley who was standing up now and very animatedly telling her story. "Do you think of her as a grown up?"

"Yes," Joe answered.

"She is nineteen years old. Zeke, that is only two years older than you. I don't know your people's traditions, but where Charley is from, it's not unusual for girls who are nineteen to be married and starting families of their own. She is a grownup. You aren't far behind, Zeke." The boys still looked at Charley, watching her tell her story. "Your sister, Helen, she isn't a little girl anymore. She is turning into a young woman. She is changing and she needs to be around other women. The younger children have no memory of grownups and know only what you have told them. What happens in another few years when some of these guys are older. They may not want to stay here either, and will go into the village with only the knowledge you have given them - grownups are bad. What will that do to them? Have you thought about that?"

"I just want them to be safe. I've been their protector," Zeke's voice trembled, "all these years."

"And you've done it wonderfully. The two of your must be very proud of what you have done. Now, down to some other business. Zeke, you and Joe came here five years ago with your siblings. There were six of you. Five of you are still here, since Tommy's died. However, I count ten children in this cave. Where did the other five children come from?"

Zeke and Joe looked at each other. Neither spoke up.

"I need to know. Did you take these children from their parents without them knowing it? Were they abandoned or did you take them from their homes?" The Doctor waited.

"Two of them, we took away from an abandoned home," Zeke began. "It was late one night and I was sneaking into a village to find some food and supplies. I heard some shouting from a home. As I got closer, I heard someone scream and the door opened and someone ran out. I heard some children crying. I peeked into the house and saw a woman lying on the floor, dead. Two very young children were sitting by her on the floor, crying. I took the children and brought them here. They would have died if they had been left alone in that home."

"Yes, I understand that. Why did you not leave them on the doorstep of someone else's house?" the Doctor asked.

Zeke looked at the Doctor in shock, "What? Leave them with some grownup who wasn't their parents? I didn't know anyone in the village. Even if that is what I wanted to do, I wouldn't have known who to leave them with."

"Alright then," the Doctor said. "Now, what about the other three children?"

"We took them."

"From whom?" asked the Doctor.

"From the same village."

"How and why?" the Doctor was horrified.

"What does it matter? I did it. I probably saved them from an awful life."

The Doctor closed his eyes. He wondered how much damage had been done to these children. They had all been thrown into circumstances beyond their control and with no adult guidance, made decisions as best as they could. In all honesty, they had done remarkably well. "The question now is, what do we do?"

"Nothing!" Zeke was shaking. "You aren't going to do anything! You haven't been here these last five years, but I have. If there is anything to be done, I will decide and I will make that happen. You have no say in this what-so-ever!"

"Zeke, please," the Doctor began.

"Get out of my cave!" Zeke screamed.


	7. Another Day, another start

"Get out of my cave!" Zeke screamed.

Charley and the other children turned to see what was going on. The Doctor stood up.

"Out, now!"

"Fine, I'll go. Charley, let's go." The Doctor turned back to Zeke, "I came here to help and I will help anyone who is willing to accept it, but nothing can be done tonight. Good night." The Doctor stormed out of the cave. Charley jogged after him, pausing at the entrance and looking back at the children. The younger ones still sat around the fire, staring at Charley. Helen was crying. The three small ones were still wrapped up in Charley's coat.

Davy ran to Charley, "Please don't go, Charley." He pulled on her skirts.

Charley knelt down to him. "Davy, I have to go right now, but I'll be back. Don't worry, you'll see me again very soon."

Zeke strode over to the children at the fire's side. "Take off those things and give them back to her!" The little boy wearing Charley's cap pulled it off his head immediately.

"No, keep them," Charley pleaded. "They are a gift." Charley took the cap from the one child and placed it back on his head. She turned around and left. She could hear the children crying and Zeke yelling at them to stop. The Doctor was waiting for her at the mouth of the path. Tears were flowing down her cheeks.

"Charley, there is nothing more we can do tonight," the Doctor was angry.

"I know. I only hope Zeke doesn't take away the clothes I gave them," Charley said. She was heartbroken.

The Doctor looked down at Charley's face and saw the tears. His own face softened. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "We'll come back to them in the morning. Come on, it's a long hike back to the TARDIS."

"How can we leave them?"

"Charley, they have been living like this for five years. One more night is nothing for them. We'll come back and find a way to help them, first thing in the morning."

The Doctor, started back down the path towards the TARDIS. In his frustration, he walked faster than Charley could keep up. In the inky blackness of the night, she soon lost sight of the Doctor.

"Doctor!" she called, "I can't see you. You've got to slow down!"

"Oh Charley, I'm so sorry." He reappeared and took her by the hand. "You're cold," he said, feeling her hand.

"So are you, Doctor," Charley smiled, knowing full well his body temperature was much lower than hers.

The Doctor smiled back at her. "Yes, and that is just fine for me, but not for you. Here," he took off his velvet coat and helped Charley to slip it on. The coat blocked the wind and immediately Charley felt warmer. "Take my hand," he held out his hand to her. She had to shove the sleeve of his coat up her arm a bit to free her hand before she could slip her hand into his. "Come on, Charley."

The Doctor began down the path again. Since most of the trip was downhill, the return trip to the TARDIS didn't take nearly as long. It reminded Charley how she was not too keen to climb it again in the morning. She was grateful for the Doctor's strong grip as she tripped several times over logs and roots, hidden by the dark night.

Charley had all sorts of ideas of cooking food in the TARDIS kitchen to take to the starving children in the cave, but by the time they made it back, Charley was exhausted. She stumbled half asleep into her room and fell into bed. Still wearing the Doctor's coat and not bothering to pull the covers over her, she quickly fell asleep.

The Doctor paced the TARDIS's console room. He was frustrated. He was not being allowed to help and it was upsetting him. When he thought about the children, he was very impressed by their incredible ability to have survived for so long on their own. They were tough and as innovative as a group of such young children could be. But they couldn't live like that forever. He was fairly certain he could convince Joe and the others to return to the village, but he knew Zeke wasn't going to go so easily. If Zeke didn't go, there was a good chance Davy and Helen wouldn't go either.

He spoke his thoughts out loud to the TARDIS.

He felt the need to help them and set things right for them, but at the same time, he knew he had no real right to stick his nose into their lives. For five years, Zeke had led and protected them. Then suddenly, the Doctor shows up, threatening to take away everything Zeke had established over the last five years. It was no real surprise that Zeke should act the way he was towards the Doctor. The Doctor threatened Zeke's authority. He couldn't let the children lose their faith in and respect for Zeke.

Despite Zeke's deep fears of adults, surely Zeke had to be aware of his age and how close he actually was to being an adult himself. The idea probably scared him. Zeke was lashing out against those changes he had no control over, like growing up. The Doctor continued to pace and talk out loud to himself.

The best thing for them all would be to return them to a village, where they could be fed, educated, loved and learn about becoming good citizens. Like it or not, they were all going to grow up and become adults.

Of course, the Doctor realized, it would be very bad for all of the children's well being to be split up into different families. To separate them would be cruel and probably very detrimental to their well being. They were a family and they needed each other. They needed Zeke. In all of their known lives, Zeke was the eldest, their leader, their father figure, their provider. They looked to him for comfort and protection. The Doctor could not take that away from them.

What to do, what to do... The Doctor pacing continued. Talking out loud had always helped him to concentrate, plus, he always felt that the TARDIS was listening and it was nice to have someone to listen to you when you were trying to work out a problem. He went to the console and began to access the TARDIS's enormous database. He wanted to find out everything he could about this small planet. As he read, ideas started formulating in his mind.

Charley was woken by a soft knocking on her door.

"Morning Doctor!" she called out to the door.

"Morning Charley," he called back. "May I open the door?"

Charley sat up and realized she still had the Doctor's coat on. "Come in," she called. The Doctor opened the door and poked his head in. Charley was holding his coat out to him.

"I'm sorry to wake you," he said.

"It's alright. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I slept in your coat."

He took the coat from her. "I'm glad it was comfortable for you. I want to head out back to the cave before much of the morning passes. I've got a couple of ideas and a bag of supplies."

"Yes, of course. Will you tell me your ideas?"

"The Doctor nodded, "On the way, yes. Dress warmly Charley." He left the room and shut the door. In the hallway, he slipped his coat back on. It was still very warm from Charley's body temperature. It was almost a little too warm for the Doctor's liking, but he knew his own cool body would soon bring the temperature of the coat back to his comfort level. He lifted the lapel to his nose and inhaled deeply. His coat smelled like Charley. He loved her smell - feminine and sweet. He went back to the console room. A knapsack sat on the floor near the door. He began to rummage around in it, making sure he had packed everything he wanted.

Charley went to her wardrobe and picked out some appropriate clothes. After dressing, she went to the TARDIS's massive wardrobe and found extra scarves, hats, sweaters, and several sets of gloves. She stuck them all into her pockets and went to find the Doctor. He smiled at her when she walked in. He was always glad to see her. He lifted the knapsack and slung it onto his back.

"Ready?" he asked her.

She nodded and followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS. The sky was still dark, but it was the dark greyish-purple of early morning dawn. A cold wind blew, causing Charley to pull her coat closer to her. The Doctor turned up the lapels of his coat around his neck, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the cold. Charley thought about how nice it would be to not be affected by temperature changes like the Doctor was. No matter the weather, he always seemed very comfortable in his usual formal dress.

He handed Charley a torch. They started down the path, Charley first, shining the light on the path, with the Doctor following her.

"Do you want me to help carry anything?" Charley asked.

"No, thank you. I've got it just fine."

"So, what are some of your ideas?"

"Well," the Doctor began, "I thought about it long and hard, Charley. These children are in a dreadful living situation. They are hungry and cold. The would benefit greatly from living in the village."

They turned up the first switchback.

"Agreed," Charley replied.

"However, they have been taught to distrust adults. I can't just send them into the village and expect them to adjust to village life with no problems."

"That's true," Charley panted. "I was thinking about this, but I don't think it would be wise to separate the children from each other."

"My thoughts exactly," the Doctor said. "For the younger children, this is the only family they have known. To separate them would be like splintering a family. It would not be helpful and would make life for them worse. It's a tricky situation, Charley."

"So what can be done?"

"I'm thinking we need to find a way for the children to integrate into the village. They need to live together with Zeke and Joe still in charge, but be close to or within the village. They need to be slowly introduced back into society, meeting adults and other children. They need to be educated in the ways of the village."

Charley was slowing down and breathing a little harder. "Yes, that all sounds fine and good, but how do we do it?"

They had climbed a good way up the mountain and by the Doctor's memory, were more than halfway up the switchbacks. He and Charley rested on a large rock next to the path. Charley sipped from a water pouch.

"I'm going to take Zeke and Joe to the village to see what it is like and hopefully meet some of the locals. I want you to stay behind and teach Helen and some of the other children some new recipes for cooking their food."

"But Doctor, I don't know any recipes. Our family had a cook that took care of all of that," Charley said.

"I know, but I'm sure you can see that those few potatoes they had for supper last night could have gone a lot further, been much more filling, and tasted a lot better if it had been prepared in a soup."

Charley nodded her head, "Yes, that's true. I guess when it is put like that, I do know a few basics about cooking."

"Exactly. I know all of this is coming five years too late for the children, but to coin a phrase, better late than never."

Charley chuckled. The Doctor did like to use Earth clichés.

The Doctor stood up, held out his hands and helped Charley to her feet. "Come on Charley, let's get moving." By the time they had made it to the cave, the sun was up and the Doctor had finished talking through all his thoughts and ideas. They were greeted by Davy, Helen and several of the other children running out of the cave to them. Davy had Charley's scarf wrapped around his head, like a hat.

"Charley, Charley!" Davy ran to her and jumped into her arms. "You came back!"

"Well of course I did. I said I would." Charley set Davy down and held him by his hand. Helen had the fire going good and strong and all the children sat huddled around it. Zeke was nowhere to be seen.

The Doctor went to Joe. "How is your back?"

Joe was sitting near the fire. "It hurts. I couldn't sleep last night."

"Let's see it, then." The Doctor gently removed Joe's shirt. He reached into his knapsack and pulled out a small tin filled with gauze, bandages, antiseptic, a sterile solution and the like. He set to work on Joes' back. Joe cringed and cried out once, but soon the Doctor had it cleaned and bandaged. "There," he said satisfied with his work, "it should start to heal a little more quickly now." He pulled a thin blanket from his knapsack and dropped it over Joe's back. "Grabile, a fabric made on the planet Neuris. It is light and thin, but incredibly warm and durable."

"Thank you," Joe said.

"Charley," the Doctor called out. Charley was by his side within moments. "Would you please hand this out and then take the things in this bag and get to work on making a stew?"

Charley took the items the Doctor held out to her. The first was a loaf of bread. It was surprisingly warm and smelled heavenly. The children were around Charley in an instant. She tore the loaf into pieces and handed out the warm bread to all the children's outstretched hands. When they had all been given a chunk of bread and were happily nibbling away at it, Charley looked into the other sack the Doctor had given her. It contained several types of vegetables. "Helen," Charley called to the little girl. Helen joined Charley at the fire. "This pot of water on the fire, what is it for?"

"For whatever we need. Zeke has always told me to keep a pot of hot water on the fire, so I do."

"Do you have another pot?" Charley asked.

Helen nodded and went to the back of the cave. She returned several moments later holding an iron pot similar in size to the one on the fire. Charley looked into it. Rusty.

"How about a scrubbing rag?" Helen ran back to the supply area of the cave. Charley walked over to the Doctor. "Doctor, I've never cooked. I really don't know what I'm doing."

"You've eaten stew before, haven't you?"

"Well, yes, of course."

"Then you understand what kinds of things go into a stew. These children don't. They aren't going to be picky."

Charley nodded. "Yes, I guess you are right. The pot Helen gave me, it's rusty. What do I do about that?"

The Doctor dug about in his knapsack again. "Wash out what you can with water, then, take this," he pulled out another tin and handed it to Charley. "Rub this all over the inside of the pot."

"What is it?" Charley opened the tin's lid. In it was a cloudy white paste. It had a very familiar scent.

"It's bacon fat," the Doctor explained. "The grease is good for the pot and it will add flavor to the stew."

Charley looked at the knapsack. It wasn't that big for all the things the Doctor kept producing from it. She figured it was like the pockets of his coat, bigger on the inside. "Did you back the entire TARDIS?"

"Just about," the Doctor smiled.

Charley took the tin and went back to the fire. Helen was there with a rag. Using the rag and some hot water, they scrubbed at the pot and got as much of the rust out as they could. When it was clean Charley told Helen to grease the pot with the fat. While Helen was busy with that task, Charley pulled the contents of the bag out and laid them on a flat stone. She looked at the variety of vegetables - potatoes, carrots, celery, and a tomato. The other children gathered around to watch. With Helen's help, Charley filled the pot with water and they began to chop the vegetables. Charley had noticed the Doctor left the cave. She wondered where he was off too, but she supposed he was looking for Zeke. It wasn't easy keeping the children's eager fingers away from the food, so Charley taught the children songs to sing. With the warm bread in their tummies, a few new warm blankets, and Charley's hat, coat, gloves and scarves wrapped around them, the children were in a good mood. They sang loudly and laughed often. It wasn't long before the vegetables were cooking away in the hot water.

The Doctor had gone out to find Zeke. After talking to Joe, the Doctor was worried for the boy. Joe said Zeke was going to look for food. He followed the tracks that looked the most recent in the damp soil. He moved silently so as not to startle Zeke nor any animal he might be tracking. He finally saw Zeke, sitting on the ground. The Doctor moved around so he would approach Zeke from his front and made a small amount of noise to alert Zeke to his presence. Zeke's head popped up as the Doctor approached.

"How did you find me?" Zeke demanded.

"I'm a good tracker." The Doctor looked to the ground and saw Zeke holding a scrawny hare. "Nice kill."

"It will be the first meat we have had in a long time. But, there is hardly any meat on it. It's too small and won't be enough to feed everyone." Zeke sighed. The Doctor saw the weight of Zeke's responsibility on his face. He was so young, but so old and weary.

"Your tribe will be happy to see that hare and I think I know a way we can make that meat go further. You see, Helen has got a stew going. We can add your kill to the stew." The Doctor was careful not to mention any part he had in the making of Helen's stew.

"A stew? But we don't have any food to put in it." Zeke's surprise was not hidden.

"Charley brought some back from our ship. It's just a few vegetables, but with your meat, it will be a feast." The Doctor had planned on explaining his plans to Zeke, but decided to wait. He hoped that after the stew was cooked and eaten, Zeke would feel better and be more open to his plans. Without another word, the Doctor turned and headed back to the cave. He heard Zeke following behind.

The Doctor could hear the singing and laughing long before he arrived back to the cave. He smiled. This would be Charley's doing, he knew. She had a way with the children. Her stories and songs were just as good for the children's health and well being as the food was. He was greeted by a chorus of 'hello's' from the children. Charley waved. He walked over to Helen's stew, inhaled deeply and looked at the tiny chef. "Helen, it smells wonderful." Helen blushed. He leaned down to where Charley sat on a rock, holding two children on her lap. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Very well, Doctor. And you?"

"Still walking on egg shells I'm afraid. I'll be just outside the cave's entrance with Zeke, call if you need me."


	8. The Stew

"How are you doing, Charley?" he asked.

"Very well, Doctor. And you?"

"Still walking on egg shells I'm afraid. I'll be just outside the cave's entrance with Zeke, call if you need me." Charley nodded. He smiled, stood up and walked over Joe. He whispered to Joe about Zeke's kill. Joe got up and walked out of the cave with the Doctor. Zeke was seated away from the cave and was working on skinning the rabbit. Joe and the Doctor found a patch of sunshine near Zeke to sit in.

"Good job on finding that hare," Joe said as he sat down. The Doctor watched as Joe moved with more ease than before. His back was doing better already. Zeke nodded his head, but said nothing to Joe.

"So tell me," the Doctor said conversationally, "what do you do to pass the time during these long winter days and nights?"

"Not much recently," Joe answered. "It has been too cold." He looked over at Zeke, who was hard at work on the rabbit and gave no indication that he would add to the conversation. "But, in winters past, we used the time to sharpen our tools, make new stone knives and repair blankets and clothes. That has gotten harder to do, though. In the beginning, we had a worn out blanket that we used to make our patches with. We took it apart, thread by thread, bit by bit and used it to repair our clothes. That blanket is long gone. We also tell a lot of stories and make up a lot of new ones. We play games."

The Doctor watched Zeke work on the rabbit. He didn't know much about skinning animals for their fur or meat, he had never needed to know nor a desire to know such things, but as he watched Zeke, he could see that the boy had developed his own awkward style of working on the animals.

Joe continued, "When it is warm, we play outside, kicking pine cones, tossing rocks, hide and find and other games. We play in the stream. We also hunt and gather as much food as we can. For many years it was only Zeke and me who could do the hunting, but last year, my brother Tommy started hunting more. Looks like it's just the two of us again. I guess we could start teaching Patches to hunt."

Zeke nodded his head.

"Who is Patches?" the Doctor asked.

"The next oldest boy now after Zeke, me, and Tommy. Patches is about nine now, I think." Joe answered.

"The more I learn about you and Zeke and all you've done over the last five years, the more impressed I am. Your ingenuity astonishes me."

"Our what?" asked Joe.

"Ingenuity, it means being clever and skillful."

When Zeke was done, the meat was added to the stew and cheers for Zeke were called out from the children. The next several hours were spent in a pleasant way. Charley sang and played games with the children. When she was quite worn out, the Doctor began telling everyone fantastic stories of aliens, sea monsters and saving the universe. The children were enthralled by him and his tales. When he was finished the children asked for more stories, but the Doctor announced supper was ready. The children rushed to grab their rough bowls and Charley carefully poured the hot stew into them.

After a few moments of waiting and blowing onto their stew, the first few tentative sips were taken. A collective sound of enjoyment was heard and soon the stew was devoured. They all begged for more, but the Doctor told them they had to wait. Their stomachs needed time to adjust to having that much food in them. Charley and Helen were congratulated on their job well done and Zeke was congratulated for the rabbit that had made the stew so very good. The afternoon was quiet as many of the children were able to fall asleep with full stomachs and warm clothes provided by Charley.

The Doctor called Zeke and Joe to him. They sat together towards the back of the cave.

"Now, we need to decide what the next step is," he said.

"What do you mean?" Zeke asked.

"Zeke, Joe, I want you to hear me out. Last night, I did a great deal of thinking and reading about your planet and culture. I think the long term goal needs to be getting you children back into a village and their way of life.

The Doctor saw Zeke stiffen, but he didn't interrupt the Doctor.

"However," the Doctor continued, "we cannot just send you back into the village and expect everything to be alright. It needs to be gradual. I am suggesting that the three of us go to the village together. We look for a place for you to live, all together, and we find some good, kind adults who can help you learn the local customs."

It was a few moments later before Joe nodded his head in agreement. The Doctor looked to Zeke. Finally Zeke nodded in agreement. The Doctor smiled. Step one was complete.

The Doctor had a quiet word with Charley, who sat among the sleeping children. She nodded in understanding at his plans and he and the two boys left the cave. They walked in silence for several minutes.

"I looked at a map, the nearest village is about an hour's walk from here." He led the way. "You know, Zeke, I expected you to put up more of a fight about this. Thank you for being, well, very grown up about this."

Zeke chuckled darkly. "Yeah, well, yesterday I would have put up a fight."

"And you did," the Doctor said.

"Yes. See, last night, after you and Charley left, the cave felt, well, it felt empty. I was so cold and hungry last night I couldn't sleep. Neither could most anyone else. I got to thinking how I wasn't a very good leader. You came and offered us food and warmth and I turned you away just cause I was worried you were going to take my place from me. I was so angry that you had come and messed with our way of life. But I know that for a while, you were kind of in charge and I liked not being in charge. I liked not being responsible all of the time. I got to thinking, in my head, that maybe it's time we go back. But I'm, well, I'm," Zeke let the thought hand in the air.

"It's scary to return to the village. To go into the unknown. To return to bad memories," the Doctor said.

"Yeah," Zeke said. Joe nodded.

"It's alright to be afraid, but we're going to do this together and I promise that as long as you are with me, I won't let anyone harm you." The Doctor had stopped to look at the boy's frightened faces.

Conversation was minimal as they walked the rest of the way to the village. When they finally reached the village boundaries, the Doctor was afraid Zeke would turn around and run back to the cave. Even Joe, who had wanted this, was looking pale.

"Stay with me," the Doctor instructed. They crossed the borders and walked into the village.


	9. The Village of Vitor

Final chapter. Thanks for reading.

The Doctor was never one to care about his appearance. He never had. And although he looked back one several of his previous incarnations with complete unbelief at what he had chosen to wear, he still never really cared. However, he was aware of the odd looks he was getting. Him, in his favorite green frock coat and his two young companions in dirty tatters. They were an odd trio. He felt them get a little closer to him as they walked into the village. They had gone five years without any outside contact. He couldn't blame them for being nervous. Many people stared at them as they walked down the road, but no one came to offer help to the strangers. Finally the Doctor reached a commons square. There were people all over, walking around, selling their wares, and exchanging gossip. The Doctor looked around for someone who looked to be in some sort of position of authority.

"Good day, sir," a voice said to them.

The Doctor, Zeke and Joe turned around to see a well dressed man standing before them.

"Good day," the Doctor said back.

"I am Gerrit, Mayor of Vitor."

"A pleasure sir," the Doctor shook hands with the mayor. "I'm the Doctor and these two fine young men are Zeke and Joe."

The mayor nodded his heads at the visitors. "Well, now, Doctor, what can we do for you? You seem a bit lost."

"Mayor, do you have a place where we can talk? My young friends and I have some things we wish to discuss with you," the Doctor spoke with confident authority.

"Follow me," the mayor said and walked away.

They followed him to a nearby building and went inside. It was a home. Nicely furnished, clean, and had a roaring fire in the fire pit. The boys stood near the fire, feeling it's warmth on their cold bodies. The mayor sat down and indicated another chair to the Doctor, who took the seat.

"Well now, Doctor. What is it you wanted to discuss?"

"Ah well, you see, I was visiting the area and to my great surprise I discovered a group of children living in a cave way out in the wilderness." The Doctor was amused by the Mayor's obvious surprise. "They have for the last five years, been alone and without any adult leadership. Young Zeke here is the eldest of the group and Joe the second oldest. They have been the leaders of their tribe for all these years."

The Mayor looked over at Zeke and Joe with wonder.

"As you can imagine, this winter has been particularly difficult and cold. They are in need of good care, a warm home, food and education."

"How is it you have been alone for so long? What drove you to live in a cave?" The Mayor asked.

Zeke looked very uncomfortable. He looked to the Doctor, who nodded and smiled encouragingly. Zeke took a breath, "Five years ago, there was a war in our village. Mother sent us away, into hiding." He looked to the Doctor again. The Doctor's kind eyes gave Zeke courage. "When we went back, the village was deserted."

"The battle at Ean. Yes, I remember that," the Mayor said. "We came to Ean's aide, but we were late. Much of the village was destroyed and many of its people were dead. We fought off their attackers. Those who were still alive returned to Vitor with us. Ean was left in ruins."

"These children are refugees of Ean. They have lived for many years in fear of adults, because of what they saw. They need a teacher, a mentor, who can help them to be reintroduced back into your society. Do you have schools?"

"Schools? No, I don't think so. Children, when they reach the appropriate age, go to work as apprentices for the village trades. They learn their trades, eventually becoming trade masters and taking on new apprentices."

"They are not ready for that. Not yet. They need to be kept together until they are comfortable in the society of the village." The Doctor started to worry there would be no one willing to take on such a challenge.

"I don't know," the Mayor was thinking hard, "we really don't have anyone who could do that. Everyone has their job or trade to work in. There is no one to teach them in the way you are suggesting."

A knock at the door interrupted the Doctor's retort to the Mayor's indecision. The Mayor answered it and stepped outside to talk with the newcomer, closing the door behind him.

"Doctor, they are not going to help us. This was a bad idea. Let's go back to the cave." Zeke said in a panicked voice.

"Zeke, be patient. I'm slightly annoyed by the Mayor's response to this, but to be fair, it is a request quite out of the ordinary and they probably do not have the resources. Or at least, they think they don't have the resources, but I have learned that if they really want something, there is always a way to make it happen."

The Mayor opened the door and walked in, taking his seat across from the Doctor. He kept an eye on the two young men as he sat down. "Doctor," he said, "I do apologize for stepping out like that just now. The work of a Mayor is never done. Now, I don't know what can be done for these children, but I promise you, we will do what we can. I'm sure there are several tradesmen who can take on new apprentices, but in the case of these two young men, I believe they are too old to learn a trade. I suppose they can become soldiers."

"That is not an option," the Doctor said, his voice going into an ominous range. "These children were separated from their families and their homes by war. They will not become soldiers to fight in anyone else's war."

"Of course," the Mayor squirmed in his chair a bit under the Doctor's gaze. "Really, Doctor, I don't know what we can do."

"You mean to tell me there is no one in this village who is not involved in a trade? I find that hard to believe," the Doctor said. The Mayor shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The Doctor took a deep breath, "Alright, let's forget that for a moment. As I'm sure you are aware, these young men look very thin, have you no tea or refreshment to offer them?"

"Yes, of course. Where are my manner's?" The Mayor rang a small bell by his side. A woman came in from another room. "Anna, some tea for our guests."

Anna looked at the three strangers. Her eyes widened when she saw the boys standing near the fire. She was an older woman, with graying hair, and she looked tired, but she had very bright eyes. She gave a quick curtsey and left the room.

"Now, let me see," the Mayor said. "There's Piet, he is the head general, oh no, that wouldn't work. No. Hmm, we could see if Hugh is available. He is our local physician. Perhaps he would be a good person to start with. He could at least help the children to regain their health."

"That might be a good place to start," the Doctor encouraged. He was feeling quite disappointed at the Mayor, but he wasn't going to show the boys how disappointed he was. He needed to boys to trust these people right off from the start. The Mayor was not making that easy.

Anna came back in, carrying a tray of tea and cakes. Zeke and Joe moved towards her slightly when she set the tray down on the table. She poured a cup and handed it first to the Mayor. He took it without noticing Anna or thanking her. She next gave a cup to the Doctor, who thanked her graciously. Next she took a cup to Joe. She looked at him for several moments before returning to pour the last cup of tea. She handed it out to Zeke, but he didn't take it. They looked at each other for a long time.

"I know you," Zeke whispered.

The Doctor turned to see Zeke and Anna looking at each other. Zeke stood a head taller than the woman.

"Zeke? Is that you?" the woman asked.

"Yes. You know my name?"

"Oh Zeke!" the woman put the cup down and threw her arms around the boy's neck. She started to cry. "Zeke, Zeke. I never expected to see you again! I always hoped, but never did I think that you would ever come back to me."

Zeke looked positively petrified for a moment. He stepped back and looked at Anna.

"Mother?" he finally said.

"Yes, Zeke. It's me."

Zeke backed away some more. Joe, the Doctor and the Mayor watched in surprise.

Anna stepped forward towards Zeke, but he stepped back again.

"Zeke, don't you know me? Don't you believe me?" Anna cried.

"You weren't there. I went back, but you weren't there."

"I know. I know. After the soldiers of Vitor rescued us, we had to leave our homes in Ean. They were destroyed and there was nothing left. For several days I went in search of you, but I could not find you. I walked and cried out to you, but you never answered. When I finally joined the rest of our village in Vitor, I asked around to everyone if they had seen you, any of you, but no one had. I thought you must have been killed. I have missed you every day for the last five years."

Joe stepped forward. "What about my mother?"

"Joe, isn't it?" Anna asked. Joe nodded. "I'm so sorry Joe. Your mother and father were killed."

Joe's eyes filled with tears. The Doctor stood and went to Joe, laying one of his hands on the boy's shoulder. Zeke's eyes never left Anna's face.

"Zeke, please forgive me. I did what I thought was best. Indeed, it was for the best. Most from our village did not survive the battle." Anna stepped closer to Zeke again, but this time, he did not move away. "What about your siblings? What about Helen and David?"

"They are well," Zeke answered.

"They are still alive?"

Zeke nodded and Anna cried fresh tears.

"Yes, but they are hungry and cold," the Doctor said. "It has been a cold winter."

Anna looked wildly at the Doctor. "Where are they? Where are my children?"

The Doctor went to Anna and took her hands in his. "Anna, there are about ten children in a cave about an hour's walk from here. They all need food, a warm place to live, and love. They have lived long without village rules or other adults. They are nervous around adults."

Anna looked at Zeke. The pain in her eyes was plain to see.

"They need someone who can love them and patiently teach them. Zeke and Joe have been in charge for a long time. They must retain their position among the other children, but they all need to learn how to live back in your society."

"Of course," Anna nodded, wiping her face with her apron. "I will take them. All of them." She looked to the Mayor. "Please Mayor, may I bring them here?"

He looked at the two boys with their thin faces and ragged clothes. "I will give you my home," he looked back at Anna. I can live with my brother and you and the children may live here."

The Doctor was surprised. He didn't expect such a huge amount of decency from the Mayor, but he had learned he should never be surprised. People had the darnest ways of surprising him. He had taken the Mayor to be a selfish man who cared for nothing more than his own status. The Doctor had, unfortunately, met too many rulers who were just that way, but here was a man who was different. The Mayor offered his own home to his servant and a bunch of strange, wild, children. The Doctor smiled.

"That is very generous of you, Mayor," the Doctor said.

"It's the least we can do for these children. My own sister lost her children during the battle of Ean. They were hiding in the house and were killed. I owe my sister and all those who lost their children something for our troops not arriving sooner to aid them. I don't know much about children, myself. I must admit, I am a little nervous around them. I never had any of my own, but I will give whatever aid I can to you Anna, so you can take good care of these young people."

"Thank you, sir. You are too kind," Anna looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"No, dear Anna, you are the kind one." The Mayor turned back to the Doctor. "Now Doctor, how do we go about getting the rest of the children here?"

"Well, I will take Zeke and Joe back. The children can gather their things and we will return here," the Doctor answered.

"Oh no, please don't go!" Anna cried out.

"Don't worry, dear mother," the Doctor said soothingly, "I will bring your children to you, safely. Just be ready for them all when we return."

Anna went to Zeke and Joe. She placed her hands on Zeke's face. Zeke looked at his mother for several moment before he pulled her into a hug. "Mother."

She went to Joe and hugged him, too. "Thank you, Joe."

It took several minutes before the Doctor was finally able to pull the boys away from Anna. She cried when they left, but the Doctor gave his word they would be back before night fall. They left the village and headed back up the mountain. For a while, no one said anything. The Doctor was wondering if all the children were strong enough for the journey. Joe thought about his mother. She was dead. Tears fell from his eyes, but he did not let the others know he was crying. He needn't have bothered hiding his feelings, because Zeke was also silently crying. He found his mother. After all these years. He had wanted so much for this day to come. He wanted to find her, but at the same time, he was terrified. He was angry with her. But he missed her. He felt so confused, sad and happy, angry and scared.

"Zeke," the Doctor's voice woke Zeke from his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

Zeke nodded. Then he shook his head.

"It's not going to be easy, Zeke. It will take time to readjust to village life. It will take time to have someone else making decisions for you when you have made the decisions for so long. There will be days that will be very hard and you will probably want to return here, and it's alright to feel that way. But Zeke, try and learn their ways. Try and learn to trust and love again. Your life will be better for it."

Zeke nodded. He couldn't speak. The words the Doctor said hardly registered in his brain. He was scared.

The hike back to the cave took longer than it had to leave, but when they finally made it back, Charley had just finished dishing out the rest of the stew to the children.

"Doctor, your back!" Charley rushed to his side. "Would you like some stew?"

"No thanks, Charley, give it to the children."

She offered the bowl of stew to Zeke, who took it and passed it to Joe. Charley smiled. She took another bowl and poured the last of the stew into it. She gave it to Zeke. He blushed and made himself very busy at drinking his stew.

"Did things go well? Were you able to find a village or anyone to help you?" Charley asked.

The Doctor smiled. "Do you want to make the announcement?" he asked Zeke.

Zeke put the half empty bowl down and he turned to face the rest of the children.

"Everyone," he said, "The Doctor, Joe and I travelled to a village called Vitor. There we met with the chief of the village. He is called the Mayor. He has invited us to live in his home in the village!"

The children cheered. Charley wondered if they really understood. Most of them probably had no memory of a home besides the cave.

"I also met a lady. Her name is Anna. She will be taking care of us. She will feed us, teach us and I believe she will love us. We will live with her and we will have a mother and a home."

Again the children cheered. Zeke took Davy and Helen aside and spoke quietly to them. Their eyes grew wide and Davy let out a whoop. "Mother! I'll have a mother!"

Charley noticed that Helen was crying. She went to the small girl. "Helen, what's wrong?"

Helen sniffed, "Zeke said it's my mother. My real mother. I hardly remember her."

Charley hugged Helen. "I'm so happy for you. I'm quite sure your mother has probably worried about you and missed you. Now you can be with her again."

"Do you think she will love me?" Helen asked.

"Oh yes, Helen. I'm sure she will. She will be so proud of you and will love you so much."

The Doctor watched as Zeke instructed everyone to various tasks. They had to collect their things. The children ran about the cave, yelling with excitement and gathering the things that Zeke told them to bring. When they were finally ready to leave the cave, they all walked out, turned around and stared at the cave's empty blackness. It had served them very well as a home. It was the only home so many of them had known. Many of the children were crying. They were sad to leave and scared to go to their future.

"Charley, why don't you lead the way back to the TARDIS. It's a shorter journey than all the way to the village, and I think they will enjoy the ride," The Doctor said to his faithful companion.

Charley smiled and nodded her head. She took Davy by the hand and they started down the path back to the TARDIS. One by one the children followed Charley. With each step they took, they became more excited. Soon, they were singing the songs Charley had taught them.

Zeke and the Doctor stayed back a few moments. Zeke stared at the cave.

"It will be alright, Zeke. The cave will always be here. Perhaps you and the rest can come back here, with your mother, during the summer time. I'm sure she would love to see the home you made here."

"Yes," Zeke said. The Doctor laid his hand on Zeke's shoulder, gently pushing him towards the path. Zeke looked at the Doctor. He nodded and turned to the path. They followed  
the other children. "Where are we going?" Zeke asked.

"To my ship. It will be a faster journey. I'm not sure that some of your youngest are quite up for the trip all the way to the village," the Doctor answered.

It wasn't long until they had reached the TARDIS. Charley had a key, but she waited for the Doctor. It was his home, after all, and she felt sure that it should be he that opened the wonders of the TARDIS to the children's eyes. They gathered around the blue police box and waited.

The Doctor smiled, pulled out his key, slipped it into the lock, and opened the door. His grin was wide as he watched the children's expressions on seeing the vast, highly decorated interior to his home. They stood in wonder and looked around. The Doctor casually walked to the console and started working the controls.

"Just a short hop. It won't take us long." He pulled the final lever that sent the TARDIS into its dematerialization. It didn't take long and before most of the children even realized the Doctor had done anything, he was opening the doors again. "Come and see where we are now," he invited them.

He had landed just outside the village. There were several homes and a road that lead right to the heart of the village. The children walked out and seeing they were somewhere else, they began to cheer. Zeke went to the road. "Alright everyone, follow me. Act nicely now." They followed Zeke into the village and he lead them to the Mayor's home. Their home.

He knocked on the door and moments later it was opened by Anna. She looked in amazement at the children. Zeke took his two siblings by the hands and pulled them to the front. "Helen, Davy, this is your mother. Mother, this is," but he didn't get to finish.

Anna had thrown her arms around her two younger children and pulled them close to her. She cried. Helen was crying too and Davy looked quite bewildered. Zeke introduced Anna to the rest of children and told them all she was to be their mother. She gave each of them a hug. The Mayor stood by and shook the hands of each of the children. "Welcome to Vitor," he said. "I'm delighted you have come to live here."

Anna ushered all the children into the house, promising them tea and cake. They went in nervously. Davy ran back out to Charley and threw his arms around her. "Don't go Charley."

"Davy, you are home now. This is your mother. She needs you," Charley patted the boys hair.

"She needs me?" Davy asked.

"Oh yes," Charley said. "She needs you very much. I'm sure she doesn't know the words to all those songs you can sing. You must teach her these songs."

Davy looked thoughtful. "You're right. She may not know any songs. I'd better go tell her."

"Good," Charley said. She laughed and cried as Davy ran into the house. The door was shut.

They Mayor turned to the Doctor. "Well, Doctor, thank you for bringing the children safely here. We will do our best to make sure they have a good life."

"That's all I need to hear. Come on, Charley, it's time for us to go." The Doctor shook the Mayor's hand and turned to go. They had made it only a few steps away from the house when the door opened and Zeke and Joe ran out.

"Doctor, wait!" Zeke called. He ran to the Doctor and held out his hand. "Thanks Doctor. For everything. Thanks for not giving up on me."

"You're an amazing young man, Zeke. Never lose that." He shook Zeke's hand. "Good luck to you, Zeke." He turned to Joe, "Joe, take care."

They finished their goodbyes. The Doctor held out his elbow to Charley. She slipped her hand into his arm and they walked back to the TARDIS. The Doctor went to the console, flipped the appropriate switches and sent the TARDIS into the vortex. He was happy about how things turned out. Charley was quiet.

"Doctor, do you think they'll be alright?" she asked.

"Yes, I think so. It's going to be hard, for all of them, but it was the best thing to do."

Charley nodded. "Yes, I suppose so." She sat down on one of the many chairs in the control room.

The Doctor went over to her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Charley, I think some tea is in order, and if I remember correctly, we were in the middle of some poetry before the smoke signal distress call."

Charley smiled. "I'll go put on the kettle." She walked towards the kitchen, "And Doctor, do you think we can skip the poetry and go back to a good novel? I've always found poetry, well, a little to poetic."

"Of course, Charley, anything you want."

Fin


End file.
